Transportation in northern China has always been difficult, and this was also an important factor hindering the Central Plains Dynasty's advance into the grasslands.

Because of the relationship between making four-wheeled carriages, Zhu Youzhen still has a good understanding of the vehicles used to transport goods in the Ming Dynasty.

Daming's existing transport vehicles, a cart can pull up to 1,000 catties of grain. And the weight of cattle and horses is not as good as that of carts.

If 20,000 stone of grain were to be transported by carts, it would take 3,000 carts to transport it.

If we add in the food and forage needed by the people driving the carts and the animals pulling the carts, the number of vehicles required increases even further.

Even if you count 3,000 carts, the convoy will have to travel for miles.

With such a large number of transport teams, if it was still smuggling, then the Ming Dynasty should have discovered it a long time ago, even if it was a herd of pigs.

Therefore, I am afraid that only Zhangjiakou, a special zone of the Ming Dynasty, can justifiably deliver materials of this scale to the grassland.

As Zheng Yingtai said, even if the Ming court was suspicious of the grain and materials shipped from Zhangjiakou, it was related to the stability of the Mongolian steppe, and the Ming Dynasty did not dare to close Zhangjiakou.

Zhangjiakou, this is the real channel for Houjin to obtain supplies from the outside world.

In the memory of Zhu Youzhen's previous life, there seems to be a surname Fan among the eight imperial merchants of the Manchu Dynasty.

In Zhu Youzhen's mind, the person surnamed Fan, nine times out of ten, is what Zheng Yingtai said, a person from the Fan family in Zhangjiakou.

If this time it is really Houjin who is purchasing food on a large scale,

No, this time it must be Houjin purchasing grain on a large scale.

Zhu Youjian made a clear judgment.

This is not only Hou Jin is purchasing grain, but also Hou Jin's food needs this time must be far more than 20,000 stones.

Only in this way, because there are certain channels for purchasing grain, a medium-sized tribe like the Shubo tribe will learn the news.

The transaction amount of 20,000 stones, I am afraid that it is the highest purchase amount of the Shu Bo Department.

Based on various information, combined with the memories of his previous life, Zhu Youzhen believes that this time it should be Houjin who is purchasing food supplies.

The question is, how should this supply channel in the Houjin grassland be cut off?

You can't just watch Houjin use the grassland to purchase supplies, right?

Shu Bobu said that Zhu Youzhen would just not sell grain to him.

But what about Zhangjiakou?

"Lao Zheng, according to what you say, the merchants of Zhangjiakou are not the same thing as you? So, will they come in the lonely Kaizhong? ”

Zhangjiakou is related to the stability of the Mongolian steppe, and it seems that it will definitely not work for the imperial court to directly close Zhangjiakou.

Zhu Youzhen could only try it to see if he could tempt the Jin merchants in Zhangjiakou with the benefits of Kaizhong.

However, there are so many interests in Zhangjiakou, I am afraid that those Jin merchants will not be tempted.

Sure enough, Zhu Youzhen listened to Zheng Yingtai say angrily: "Your Highness's opening, of course they won't come." They have so much profit on their hands, how could they come. Well, they don't dare to come to us to grab food. ”

This time, Zhu Youzhen completely understood.

Zheng Yingtai and the Jin merchants who are in the middle of the opening are indeed not in the same line as the Jin merchants in Zhangjiakou.

The two sides are quite a bit of an industry each, and the well water does not interfere with the meaning of river water.

What can I do?

If you can't cut off Houjin's external supply, then it's going to be a problem to destroy Houjin.

This Zhangjiakou can't be closed, and the Jin merchants in Zhangjiakou can't move to woo them, so can they let them use the name of the steppe Mongols to wantonly transport all kinds of materials to Houjin?

Steppe, Mongols.

Thinking of these two words, a new idea popped up in Zhu Youzhen's mind.

From Zhangjiakou to the controlled area of Houjin, it would have to span most of the Mongolian steppe.

Although Zhu Youzhen has never been anywhere, the impression of his previous life tells him that this distance is not short, at least 1,000 kilometers.

In this era, it would have been more than 2,000 miles.

With such a long supply line, you only need to attack and harass them in the middle of the way, and then you will be done.

How many troops can Houjin have, and how many troops can maintain such a long supply line.

Haha, it's time for my junior team to shine again.

However, the cadets did not have cavalry formation, and they were not familiar with the grasslands, so they were not the best candidates for such a thing.

Zhu Youzhen immediately vetoed the idea of dispatching the junior team.

Can the Mongols cut off the Houjin supply line through the steppe?

The Mongols were not monolithic, and the Houjin did not fully control the steppe.

There are still many tribes in this steppe that hate Houjin, just like the Zalut tribe.

That's right, I'll ask the Zarut Ministry to dispatch.

Isn't that Zarut a branch of Khalkha?

You can get them to call all the Khalkha tribes.

That's right, let's ask a mercenary who is familiar with the land to do something.

Then let the youth team send those who are good at horsemanship, and they will also follow to learn the tactics of cavalry.

Isn't that a great thing to kill two birds with one stone?

Even if the Khalkha Ministry can't completely cut off this route, as long as it can make the transportation of Houjin, pay an extremely high price.

Hehe, I don't believe that they can last for a long time.

Zhu Youzhen laughed gloomily.

grassland

I saw the caravan that was going to trade slowly into the camp.

A smile finally appeared on Gessel's sad face.

There was no need to check it out for himself, years of experience told him that the caravan had good news.

You see, such a heavy bag on the horse's back must be the food brought back by the caravan.

It seems that the Longmen caravan still abides by the agreement between the two parties.

Those Han people finally didn't rob in vain.

This batch of grain can be obtained, and the Zalut Department is really stable.

To tell the truth, no one in the entire Khalkha Department thought that Houjin would risk the annihilation of the entire army and brave the bitter cold of the winter to fight into the grassland.

In this kind of cold winter season, it may only take a heavy snowfall to wipe out the Houjin army.

But God didn't open his eyes, and for more than a month, there was no snow on the grassland.

And the Khalkha Ministry did not expect that Lin Dan Khan of Chahar would not be saved if he would die.

I really don't know, with this kind of open-mindedness, Lin Dan Khan is embarrassed to call himself Genghis Khan.

In this way, Lin Dan Khan still wants to unify all the departments of the grassland, which is simply a fool's dream.

Gussel let out a long sigh at the thought of this.

Their Khalkha Department suffered heavy losses this time.

The Uqiye Department was directly found by Houjin to the old camp, although all the five Khalkha Ministries tried their best to save it, but the Uqiye Department was still completely destroyed.

Zorik Tuhong, who had lost most of his subordinates, even wanted to rely on Lin Dan Khan to rebuild the Uziyat tribe.

You said that this Zhuo Li Ketuhong has been a hero all his life, how can he not see Lin Dan Khan's personality.

Lin Dan Khan is not even willing to help the Khalkha Ministry fight against Jin, can he still help rebuild the Uziyat Department?

Zhuo Li Ketuhong is gone, but I am afraid that he will not be able to come back.

In the future, on the steppe, there may be only four Khalkha left.

The thought of this situation made Gasel's heart ache.

What is the future of my Khalkha Ministry?

The caravan, which had fully entered the camp, suddenly flew out and sped in the direction of Gessel.

"Great Elder, Great Elder."

Before the people arrived, Ange's distinctive cry had reached Gessel's ears.